DIY Life

Teens are among the hardest people to shop for. If you plan on making the gifts yourself, you've got double the challenge. Knowing your teen and their personality should help you come up with a creative personal DIY gift. If you're feeling lost, take a project from this list of homemade gifts for the teen in your life or let it inspire some of your own ideas.

I plan on making a recipe book for my brother. It's perfect for that young adult who is on their own for the first time. You remember the mac and cheese diet. It can only be sustained for so long. I'll put together some quick and simple favorite recipes. They suggest putting them in a scrapbook or binder, but I think I'll laminate and bind it so that he can have it on the kitchen counter without getting it too messy.

Teens and twenty somethings (I guess I am 20 something, but the younger twenty somethings) are a mystery on their own, shopping for them can be near impossible. Make them a gift that is original, personal and lasting.

My son has a pair of light-up sandals. Everywhere you go, there are kids sporting these shoes with light flickering on every step. How often have you wished they made such cool things for adults? Why wait until they come around? Hack together your own pair of light up shoes.

What you'll need

1. Craft knife
2. Heavy-duty scissors
   
3. Pliers
   
4. Soldering iron
5. Electric drill
6. Glue
7. Old kid's shoes with lights (can get cheap worn out ones at the thrift store)
8. Your shoes of choice - Are you going to spice up your work shoes or add some light power to your favorite clubbing shoes?

DIY adult light shoes are a great way to add a little originality to your step and stand out in the dark. The full instructions and pictures along the way will walk you through the whole transplant process. I wonder if your kids will still think these shoes are cool when Mom and Dad are sporting the same ones?

There's so much to love about summertime: picnics, weddings, lemonade, and ripe watermelon. The next time you have a backyard barbecue, consider spiking a couple of nice, juicy watermelons -- one for the grown ups, and one for the kids.

What you'll need:

2 large, ripe seedless watermelons
1 - 2 cups vodka
1 - 2 cups cran-raspberry juice
Sharp knife
Metal skewer
Funnel

Step 1: Carefully cut a round hole about 3 inches in diameter into the rind of the watermelon. If you have trouble prying out the rind, drill into it with a corkscrew as if you were opening a bottle of wine.

Step 2: Poke a skewer into the hole several times from different angles. This creates channels to allow the additional liquid you're adding to seep through the melon. Be careful not to poke through through the rind on the other side.

Step 3: Insert a funnel into the hole and slowly pour in the vodka until it's completely absorbed. Replace the rind plug and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Repeat with the remaining watermelon and juice.

Step 4: When you're ready to serve, slice the vodka-soaked melon into wedges and arrange on serving platters. Slice the juice-filled melon into matchsticks, a perfect size for little fingers. This little trick also helps let people know which watermelon slices have alcohol and which don't.

This is my tried-and-true method for spiking watermelons, but I've read that food-injectors make the job even easier. If you've tried using an injector, or have other tips on how to quickly spike a melon, let us know in the comments.